United Recap - The Good 4-2

"I don't know. There wasn't a lot of controversy today. D.C. won."
- classy New England forward Taylor Twellman speaks the truth

"...Kenny had won the ball and was about to move on and Olsen kicked his back leg. It was clear as day, but the ref moved on."
- punk-ass Revolution thug...sorry - defender - Jay Heaps (of Manure) making excuses as usual

Just a few things that stuck to my admittedly well-lubricated brain yesterday:

• Run, Run, Run. It was oh-so good to see Josh Gros back hurtling up and down the wings. Depth is never a bad thing and after his injury scare, it's great to have him back for a run at the title(s). Too bad he couldn't shake the rust off to replicate his Rev-killing of a few weeks ago when that early New England snafu in the box presented him with a chance.
• Weakened "D"? Is it just a matter of facing two of the top four in the past week or is the defense finally starting to show some frailty after a month or so of dominating, stingy play? Before the two goals we allowed to Chivas, it had been a good while since we'd conceded from the run of play. Hopefully, two games in a row shipping two goals is not a trend that continues.
• Simms City! Clyde Simms has been massive in the defensive midfield during United's run to the top of the table. Despite Brian "The Argyle Assassin" Carroll's late run and assist, he's just not as tough as Simms, nor can he cover the same amount of ground or be as effective in the air. And while Beninho is plenty tough, he's similarly limited when it comes to the aerial game and covering big patches of turf in the middle. Simms is giving the likes of Fred, Olsen, Gros, and Gomez the freedom to get forward more often in the attack.
• Bombs Away! The Bearded Bombardier strikes again. Despite squandering a big chance after coming off the bench, Olsen gets behind the New England back line to set up the go-ahead goal and continue his unlikely campaign for MLS MVP.
• Jaime, Jaime, Jaime, Jaime - Jaime Mo-re-eh-no! Was it just my ears playing tricks or did I hear Jaime's name being chanted to the Culture Club's "Karma Chameleon"? If not, why not? Sometimes Jaime's composure on the ball results in frustration and loss of possession/chances, but other times it just proves his obvious class. What kind of ice do you have to have in your veins to just dance around a bit and chip it over the keeper and into net from a couple yards out when just about anybody else would have gone for the hammer-strike?
• Keep feeding the Goal Machine. Emiligol is really racking them up on his way to a potential Golden Boot. I thought 15-20 would be an excellent haul for his first MLS season, but Luci seems intent on breaking the 20 barrier. More power to the man!
  

Captain Obvious says, "What a huge win for United!" Three games in the span of a week against three of their rivals for the Supporters' Shield and DC comes away with two wins and a draw to give themselves a bit of breathing room at the top. With only a handful of matches to go, United look favorites as their remaining schedule is bereft of top MLS sides. That said, there are some tricky fixtures ahead, particularly against sides that are desperate to land playoff spots. Here's hoping that the Sudamericana doesn't prove a huge distraction as home-field throughout the playoffs sure would be huge for United.